Spotlight Session
Grounded Theory with MAXQDA
Dr. Stefan Rädiker (raediker@methoden-expertise.de)
Typically, grounded theory projects do not follow a strict step-by-step process, but the researchers
apply basic principles and procedures, such as the following:• The research process is designed iterative, with alternating data collection and analysis.
• Coding takes a significant role in the analysis. For coding, a variety of approaches (for example,open, axial, and selective coding) is used.
• The level of abstraction of codes and categories developed increases as the analysis progresses.
• Researchers write memos to record important thoughts and findings.
• Concept maps are used to visualize current states of theory development.
How can grounded theory studies be implemented with MAXQDA? This document presents helpful
functions and provides concrete tips.

Set-up your MAXQDA project and organize your documents• Create a new MAXQDA project right from the beginning of your study.
• Import all data into the project.
• Import field notes as documents (not memos) so that they can be coded.
• Use meaningful document names for easy access of different types of documents.
• Structure data in document groups by data type, time of collection, or other meaningful logic.

Documents structured in document groups by data type (left) or by phase (right)“Open coding” mode
For the first coding phase of open or initial coding, you can activate the Open Coding mode by clicking
on this iconin the “Document Browser” window. Upon selecting a text segment or image section,

an input mask will automatically appear for entering a new code name. MAXQDA lists existing codes
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with the same name so that you can easily code with existing codes instead of a new code to avoid aninflation of codes with the same or similar name. In the mask, you can also write a code memo and acomment on the code assignment.

Activate “Open coding” mode in the “Document Browser” (icon highlighted in yellow in the toolbar)

In-vivo coding
In-vivo codes utilize phrases directly extracted from the data as their code names. To create an in-vivo
code, select a text section and click on the corresponding icon at the top of the “Document Browser”.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Alt+I (Windows) or cmd+option+I (Mac).

Create an in-vivo code for a highlighted text section
New in vivo codes are inserted at the very top of thecode system, and can be moved, merged, renamed,and colored just like normal codes.

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Creative Coding: Organize codes as on a whiteboard
Using the Codes > Creative Coding function, you can systematize, group, and arrange the open codesfrom the first coding phase. First, you have to select the codes to be sorted, then, you can move aroundand arrange the codes as you could with sticky notes on a whiteboard.
Create new parent codes/categories and connect related subcodes by adding arrows. Drop one code
onto another to merge them.

Group codes in a whiteboard-like workspace with Creative Coding feature
To transfer the structuring of codes to the “Code System” window, click Finish Creative Coding in theupper left corner.

Merge codes in “Code System” window
To merge two codes, drag one code onto the other in the “Code System” window and release the mousebutton when the pointer is on the blue “Merge” field:

Merge two codes
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Elaborate properties and dimensions of categories
The properties and dimensions of categories (in the sense of Strauss & Corbin,1990) can be created as subcodes in the “Code System” and/or can berecorded in the code memo.
Right: Properties of categories and their dimensions as subcodes in the“Code System” window

Applying the coding paradigm (Strauss & Corbin)
The coding paradigm (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) includes the domains of causes, context, intervening
conditions, strategies, and consequences of a phenomenon. The paradigm can help to elaboraterelationships between the categories formed. You can implement it either graphically in MAXMaps orusing parent codes in the “Code System” window.

Creating a concept map in MAXMaps using the domains of the coding paradigm“Code System” with domains of the coding paradigm as parent codes
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Applying the coding families (Glaser)
Glaser (1978) has compiled analytically valuable terms into coding families that can support theory
building. You can record the coding families in a memo via Memos > New free memo so that they arealways at hand.

Recording Glaser’s coding families in a free memoWrite and differentiate memos
Memos are used to record your thoughts, findings, and notes. Memos are visualized by yellow sticky
note symbols and can be placed at various locations in MAXQDA. In grounded theory projects, thedifferent memo locations can be used as follows:• Project memo (top entry in the “Document System”): Research questions and research interest;
important decisions in the research process.
• Document group and document set memos: Information on data gathering phases and on datatypes; results of case comparisons.
• Document memos: Supplementary information on individual cases and on situations of datacollection; case summaries; analytical findings on a case.
• In-document and in-media memos: Notes and insights on specific text passages or image
excerpts, for example, contradictions in the data.
• Code memos: Analytical insights regarding codes, categories, concepts.
• Free memos (not assigned to any particular location): Reflection on prior assumptions; thoughts
on overarching concepts; integration of other analytic memos.
Regardless of a memo’s location, you can assign one of the following icons to each memo:

Tip: In any memo, click on the gear icon right to the symbols to record their meaning in the current
MAXQDA project as a label for the symbols.

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Link memosInternal links can be used to link sections in memos to text in other memos: right-click on highlighted
section with link start, select Insert Internal Link (Start), right-click on highlighted link target and selectInsert Internal Link (Target).
You can link codes to a memo by dragging the code from the “Code System” window to the memo.
Similarly, you can drag a coded segment from the “Document Browser” into the memo and link it.
By right-clicking on a code or a coded segment, all memos linked to this code can be listed:

Call up memos linked to a code to list them in the Memo Manager

The “Memo Manager”
The Memos menu tab gives you access to all the memos in your project. For example, click Memos >Code Memos to list all the memos you have written for a code. The memos are presented in the MemoManager, where you can read, modify, filter, compile into sets, and export memos.

The Memo Manager allows access to selected or all memos of a project

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6Create concept maps in MAXMaps
Calling up Visual Tools > MAXMaps opens a workspace in which you can create diagrams and concept
maps. (Almost) all elements of a MAXQDA project can be inserted into a map (for example by dragging
them with the mouse): codes, memos, coded segments, documents. The elements in MAXMaps can beconnected with lines and arrows and are interactively linked to the project data. For example, doubleclicking on a code symbol opens a list of the associated coded segments.
MAXMaps

providesnumerous

model

templates that allow you to automaticallycreate case-based or code-based concept
maps and then customize them as desired,such as the Single Case Model or the Code
Theory Model.

Code Theory Model in MAXMaps including
first level subcategories

Bring it all together in Questions - Themes - Theories (QTT)
In the Analysis > QTT: Questions- Themes - Theories workspace,youcangather

importantelements of your analysis, such as
selected memos, visualizations,ortextsegments.

Foreachelement, you can note down andintegrate important insights.

“Integration of findings” section
on a worksheet in the QTT
workspace

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More information
Rädiker, S. (2023). Doing grounded theory with MAXQDA: Guidance and tips for your practice.
MAXQDA Press. https://doi.org/10.36192/978-3-948768164

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